Airport Announces $1 Million Air Service Development Program

May 17, 2012

The Nation's Hassle-Free Passenger Airport
Now Even More Attractive for New Service by Carriers.

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (May 17, 2012) – Memphis International Airport today unveiled an aggressive Air Service Development Program designed to attract new non-stop service. The program offers financial incentives and fee savings to airlines that add new direct service to and from Memphis International Airport and commit to those routes for at least 12 months.

The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority has authorized up to $1 million in incentives for the first year of the program.

"We are in the most competitive market ever experienced for attracting the limited number of new flights and routes that airlines are launching," said Larry Cox, president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority. "With this program, we offer every airline the opportunity to add flights in Memphis and take advantage of a highly competitive incentive offer in a non-discriminatory way. Whether you are an established airline already operating flights at Memphis International or an airline interested in testing the Memphis market, you are qualified for these incentives."

Specifically, the incentives are available to all certificated commercial service passenger airlines that provide new round trip scheduled air service between Memphis International Airport and one of the top 50 Memphis origin and departure markets five days per week or international service no less than four days per week. Airlines must have executed an Airport Use and Lease Agreement. To qualify, the airline or its code share or alliance partner(s) must not have provided the service during the preceding 12 months and, once launched, it must continue for a period of not less than 12 months.

The total maximum value of incentives that would be paid by Memphis International Airport is $1,000,000 for the first year.

"Our goals for this program are very specific and very Memphis-centric," said Cox. "We want to improve direct air service for Memphis travelers. And, we want to enhance competition for Memphis travelers' business. This program gives every airline an opportunity to start service in Memphis, and it rewards any carrier that is willing to provide greater service tomorrow than it offers today."

"The end result of this Air Service Development Program will be an improved competitive market for Memphis travelers," added Arnold Perl, Chairman of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority. "We believe that as airlines experience more of what Memphis International has to offer in terms of efficiency, safety, and our low cost of doing business, they will be here for the long run. And, as we attract more service and more travelers, we enhance the utilization of our facilities overall."

The program will begin on July 1, 2012, with no current established expiration date.